


First Words

by Dorian_The_Grey



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Avengers AU, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Slight bit of angst, Slight bit of misunderstanding, Soul Mates AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-05
Updated: 2016-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-02 18:06:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8677576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dorian_The_Grey/pseuds/Dorian_The_Grey
Summary: Short prompt 5: Soul mate AUPart of plot prompt 3: Non-powered au where Bucky and Tony knew each other from highschool and danced around their mutual attraction. Tony is terrified of finding his Soul Mate. He doesn't want to be rejected and then have to face the rest of his mortal life alone. He didn't want to end up like Obie or the other 1%.It didn't help that the first words his mate was supposed to say to him were a lot more like a rejection that an admission of devotion.Screw that. He'd been fighting fate this long. He wasn't going to give up now.AU Where you begin to age once you find your Soul Mate.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [syriala](https://archiveofourown.org/users/syriala/gifts).



> Gift fic for the Winteriron Holiday Exchange.
> 
> Soul mate AU

Contrary to popular belief, Tony Stark actually hated parties. Oh sure he could charm and dazzle the hell out of the guests, but he never liked it. The loud music and obnoxious drunks dancing about trying desperately to shove their tongues down your throat.

If anyone actually took the time to look hard enough they would be able to see the strain in his smile, the way his eye would twitch ever so slightly whenever someone approached and tried to talk to him.

And okay, maybe perhaps it wasn't just the idiots grinding up on each other and the screaming in someone's ear just to be heard that irritated him.

It could possibly, might have something to do with the words imprinted on his forearm. The bold, black script scrawled on his flesh.

His Soul Mate's first words to him.

'Damn. This is why I hate parties.'

Not the most promising greeting.

Soul Mates. The entire idea was ridiculous.

Tony was perfectly happy with the way things were. Frozen at twenty-one had to be the greatest thing ever.

Maybe to some people the whole "Growing old together." thing was romantic in a Shakespearean sort of way. But Tony saw it for what it was. A death sentence.

Who would want to give up a life of eternal youth just to be with someone you might not even like?

You didn't need your Soul Mate to be happy. His own parents had proven that.

Howard and Maria Stark hadn't been Soul Mates and yet they had been perfectly happy. They'd spent decades together, had a child and planned to live the rest of forever by each other's side.

To Tony, that was what a Soul Mate really was. Someone who wanted to spend forever with you. You didn't need a few fancy words or weird ass biology to have a wonderful life with a person who loved you. All you needed was a person who wanted to spend forever together.

Tony gazed back down at his forearm, reading the dreaded skin curse once more for the hundredth time that night. 'Damn. This is why I hate parties.'

"Well you and me both buddy." Tony mumbled.

It wasn't a promise of a happy future together. It was more like a warning.

Knowing Tony's bad luck he'd most likely be one of those 1% cases that gets left behind before their bond even connects.

He'd heard about mates who met each other, one half of the pair saying those stupid words that started the clock ticking, only to have the other person take off.

That had to be the stupidest and most fucked up part of the whole deal. You say your words and then your partner walks off, leaving you behind to slowly grow old and whither away all alone.

It had happened to his Godfather Obie, the man turning into a bitter old ass and cursing both Howard and Tony for not having their own issues.

He didn't want to be that person. He didn't want to age and die alone. Even if you do find a Soul Mate that doesn't automatically mean you get a happily ever after.

This was so fucking stupid, he thought as he roughly yanked his sleeve down to cover those damn words.

Sometimes he was convinced Rhodey was trying to get him killed. Dragging him to party after party, hoping the genius would finally bump into that 'special someone'.

It was stupid.

Just because he had met his own mate, a handsome and sweet guy named Sam that he had met while on leave, didn't mean Tony had to find his as well.

"Come on Tones, lighten up!" said murderous friend spoke up from beside the sulking brunette. He had been watching Tony sulk for the last half hour.

"How am I supposed to 'lighten up' when my best friend is trying to murder me?" Tony questions, a scowl firmly etched on his pretty face.

Rhodey sighed before reaching over and poking the other man on his cheek, "Keep pouting like that and you'll get wrinkles... Look, I'm not trying to hurt you Tony. I just want you to be happy."

"I am." The smaller male grumbles as he swatted away the prodding finger. "I don't need a Soul Mate Rhodey. My parents weren't mates and they had been happy."

"Your parents were lucky Tones."

"And of course I can't be one of the lucky ones." Tony sighs sadly.

The truth of the matter is, that once upon a time Tony had found someone he thought he wouldn't mind growing old with. Back in high school, when he had met that one special guy, James.

And by met he means, had seen across the court yard and ran away as soon as the taller boy had made eye contact with him.

It was stupid and cliché, but Tony had felt something in that moment. He had wanted to say something to the other boy, anything really. But of course Tony being himself he had been far too afraid.

What if he was rejected? Just like Obie. What if he had James' words but the other guy didn't want him?

He couldn't risk it.

Because what if, by some strange miracle, James and he had been mates? What if he said the words that tied him to the fate of mortality and James had walked away?

He knew he hadn't been the taller male's type. James, who was handsome and muscular, charming and confident. Who liked long legged, beautiful red haired girls with Russian accents.

Not someone like Tony. Pretty faced but short, shy and painfully awkward. Someone unpopular and very much not a girl.

He wasn't even close to being James Barnes' type.

Besides, four years together in all the same classes yet James had never said a single word to him. Even if they had been Soul Mates, Tony was nothing James wanted.

Rhodey watched as Tony's expression darkened and became lost. It always made his stomach twist and his heart ache when he saw his friend like this. "Alright, I'm starving. How about we blow this popsicle stand and go grab some burgers?" He offered, grinning as Tony seemed to light up at the suggestion.

"Yeah! Cheese burger here I come!" The smaller man whooped as he tried to stand, only succeeding in stumbling into the man beside him.

Rhodey laughed as he helped Tony stand, realizing he was tipsier than he had originally thought. "Whoa, careful man."

Tony chuckled himself as he leaned on Rhodey, allowing the taller man to support him. "Weird. I don't remember having that much to drink." he slurred, his vision beginning to double. "Uh, Rhodey. I don't feel so good." Tony mumbled as he clung to his friends arm for support.

"Okay man. Okay, hold on." Rhodey tries to comfort him as he leads Tony into the bathrooms.

"I'm gonna be sick." Tony says as he's lead over to one of the stalls.

"It's okay Tones. I'm right here." Rhodey tells him, running a hand through his friends now sweat soaked hair.

"Hey, is everything alright?" A new voice asks from behind the two.

Rhodey turns to see who spoke and sighs in relief, "Steve, Bucky, hey." He greets, wincing when he hears Tony throw up. "Yeah, no. I'm pretty sure that shady bartender slipped more than extra olives in Tones' drink."

Rhodey watched as Steve's face darkens at the news and Bucky scowls. Neither like the implication of what could have happened if Rhodey hadn't been around.

"Hey Buck, can you watch him while Jim and I go have a chat with the bar keep?" Steve asks his friend, his gaze becoming sympathetic at Tony's miserable groan, before darkening again at the thought of what caused his misery.

"I don't want to leave him." Rhodey mutters as he strokes Tony's back.

"Oh please go kick their ass." The sick brunette almost begs. This really was not the way he had wanted to spend his Saturday night, kneeling on a bathroom floor and puking up his breakfast, lunch, and apparently everything he had ever ate. Seriously, he does not remember eating this much.

"You'll stay with him?" he hears Rhodey ask one of the newcomers, probably the Bucky guy since it was this Steve's idea to go teach the bartender a lesson. Anyway, who the Hell names their kid "Bucky"?

"Yeah, I'd go instead but, I'm still on probation for the last fight." The other guy, Bucky he assumes, says. Who the hell were these people?

"Okay Tones, I'll be right back. Just stay here." Rhodey says.

"Oh yeah, because it's so obvious I could go anywhere right now." Tony snips back.

"Well if you have the ability to be so sassy I'll assume you'll be alright." His friend says, amused but still worried. He passes his hand through Tony's hair once more before standing and following Steve out the door.

Bucky stands there awkwardly for a moment before moving closer. He cringes when Tony gags and then falls back against the stall wall, face flushed and sweaty. "Damn. This is why I hate parties." The taller brunette says a he pulls a handful of paper towels off the wall and hands them to a panting Tony.

Something echoes in the back of Tony's mind, urging him to keep his mouth shut but the drungs running through his system and clouding his head quickly shut that thought down. Without realizing what's happening, Tony is already talking, "Yeah, well. You and me both buddy."

The man crouched in front of him freezes, his icey blue eyes widening before he grabs a hold of Tony's sleeve and shoves the fabric up his arm. "Holy shit." Bucky whispers, sliding backwards when Tony yanks his arm away, only succeeding in falling back himself.

"Stranger danger!" The shorter man slurs, his glassy brown eyes narrowing in what would be a cute attempted glare if it weren't for Bucky's own shock at his discovery.

"This is definitely not the right time for this but, I'm pretty sure you're my Soul Mate."

Tony doesn't know what this man is talking about, can't process anything beyond the pounding in his head. "W-what? What are- Who are you?"

Bucky stares at the drugged man for a long while, enough time for Tony to start feeling even more uncomfortable. "Tony Stark?" he finally asks, his eyebrows raising in disbelief.

"What? No you're not. I'm Tony Stark." Tony huffs, "Who are you?"

"No! Um, wait. I don't know if you remember me but, I'm Bucky Barnes. I'm pretty positive we went to high school together." Bucky says, his lips twisting into an awkward smile.

"Wait... Barnes. James Barnes?" Tony says slowly. Ugh, he could not deal with this much confusion right now. He was tired and miserable and just wants to go home, curl up, and guilt Rhodey into cuddling the hell out of him. He is not in the mood to be having a conversation with the guy he crushed on in high school on a public bathroom floor.

"Yeah. I guess I did go by James back then... I know we never really talked but..." The larger brunette rattled on nervously.

"Oh man, no. This cannot be happening right now." Tony groans, pulling his legs up and burying his head between his knees. "This is the worst day ever."

"Well excuse the hell out of me! Not like I wanted to spend my night sitting on a bathroom floor in some bar with a stupid Punk!" Bucky snaps as he goes to stand up.

"No! No. That's not- That's not what I meant." Tony says quickly, reaching out one of his hands to grab the end of Bucky's shirt, "I just... This is so not how I imagined our first meeting to go. Me, looking completely pathetic, and you looking, well, you."

Bucky eyes the other for a second before slowly sitting back down. "Well, I'm not the most cheerful fella to be around you know."

Tony huffs out a small laugh, "The most attractive and popular guy in school? Doubt that."

"A lot's changed since then. I'm not really the James Barnes everyone use to- Wait. You think I'm attractive?" Bucky breaks off mid-sentence to ask, a slow grin stretching across his face.

Tony flushes for a completely new reason that had nothing to do with the drugs in his system, "I- I just meant- Well, everyone thought so!"

Bucky laughs, his smile easy and amused, "The way you avoided me back then, I was pretty sure you thought I had the plague."

"Wh- I didn't- Hey! You never said a single word to me!" Tony pouts as he crosses his arms, cursing silently as his vision went crossed for a moment.

"Well, you never gave me the chance. Always running away every time I looked at you. I was pretty sure you were either terrified or hated me."

"Of course not! I thought you were the hottest guy in school! As well as the straightest." Tony defends himself, swearing again at his inability to keep his thoughts to himself.

"Oh really? The hottest?" Bucky teases before his smile falters as he processes the last part of the statement. "Why would you assume I was straight?"

"Hmm. I don't know. Probably due to the fact you always had that pretty Russian red head draped across you?"

Bucky pauses to think back, understanding lighting up his face. "You mean Natasha? Ew, gross. She was like my little sister! She only stuck so close to ward off the stalkers."

Tony blinks a few times before moaning pathetically, "Seriously? She did a pretty good job then. I was pining after a guy who wasn't even straight?" The smaller brunette sighs, "Well no matter. I still probably didn't stand a chance with you. I mean really. I was a huge dork, and a shrimp. And painfully awkward. So not your type."

Bucky smirks slightly, "You mean short, smart, and adorable? All very much my type." His smirk turns into a shy tiny smile, "And maybe, once you're not puking everywhere, we could go to dinner?"

Tony looks down shyly then cringes when he catches sight of his sweat stained shirt. "Uh... Sure. When I'm not covered in sweat and feel like absolute shite."

The taller brunette laughs loudly, leaning towards Tony and kissing him on the forehead gently before sitting back. "Gotta say, I never would have guessed I'd meet my Soul Mate in the bathroom of a bar. Damn. This is why I hate parties."

"Yeah, well. You and me both buddy."

**Author's Note:**

> This story ended up getting deleted five times by accident and I've had to rewrite it over and over so this isn't my first version. I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> I know I didn't go into too much detail about Bucky and Tony's bonding but I really didn't want to drag this out too much. Any longer and I would have had to make it multi-chaptered.


End file.
